Their knees struck the hard ground heavily, kicking up small clouds of dust, yet they did not notice at all.
Everyone pressed their foreheads tightly against the earth. It was reverence and submission from the depths of their hearts.
Their bodies trembled uncontrollably, as though they were facing a power beyond mortal understanding.
Immediately after, a loud cry broke the brief silence.
The voices gathered together like surging waves, sweeping outward in every direction.
"Greetings, Divine Lord!"
Those cries were filled with long-suppressed longing and hope.
"Long live the Eternal Divine Kingdom!"
That passionate tone seemed to announce the arrival of a new era—an era filled with hope and light.
"Greetings, Child of Prophecy!"
This shout carried even more devotion and awe.
The Child of Prophecy was the lighthouse that would guide them toward a bright future.
When everyone nervously and cautiously raised their heads, the scene before them left them so stunned they could barely speak.
Kaido, the man who had once been like a demon and terrified them all, now seemed like a completely different person as he stood behind Ron.
On his fierce face, the savagery and cruelty of the past had disappeared. In their place was an unreadable calm, without the slightest trace of hostility.
In the deathly silence, a bold samurai gathered his courage and called out, "Divine Lord… Kaido, he…?"
His voice carried confusion and disbelief, as though he still doubted whether everything he was seeing was real.
Ron paused slightly. Then a gentle yet firm smile appeared on his face.
His voice was clear and loud, spreading across the entire coast and entering everyone's ears.
"From this day forward, there is no longer any Beasts Pirates in this world."
His words were simple yet powerful.
Every word struck the hearts of the crowd like a heavy explosion, stirring up stormy waves within them.
As he spoke, he calmly stepped half a pace aside, his posture composed and confident, displaying an unshakable authority to the world.
"There is only Kaido of the Eternal Divine Kingdom."
Those words put an end to this earth-shaking transformation, announcing the end of an old era and the beginning of a brand-new one.
They exploded beside everyone's ears like thunder, leaving them dizzy and confused.
They could hardly believe what they had heard.
The nightmare that had ruled Wano for twenty years, bringing countless disasters and suffering to the land, had ended just like that—so suddenly?
"As for Wano…"
Ron's voice suddenly became solemn.
He slowly raised his arm, palm facing upward, as though welcoming the arrival of something sacred.
"From this moment onward, it shall become a vassal state of the Eternal Divine Kingdom!"
As his words fell, the dark clouds that had filled the sky seemed to be gently pushed aside by an invisible hand.
A dazzling beam of golden light, like a sharp sword, pierced through layer after layer of clouds and shone directly onto Ron.
This almost miraculous sight brought tears to the eyes of all the people of Wano.
"Twenty years…"
Someone murmured, their voice filled with endless emotion and bitterness.
For these twenty years, they had lived in darkness and fear, suffering oppression and torment.
Now, they had finally seen the dawn of hope.
"We're finally… finally saved!"
Another person cried out excitedly, their voice carrying relief and joy.
The heavy mountain that had pressed down on them had finally been moved away.
"The prophecy… has come true!"
More and more people echoed those words.
Tears of excitement shone in their eyes, filled with longing and expectation for a better future.
Momonosuke stood among the crowd, no longer able to control his emotions.
Tears poured from his eyes like a broken dam.
His shoulders trembled nonstop, as the emotions he had suppressed for so long were finally released in that moment.
The weapons in Denjiro's and the others' hands also fell to the ground with a clang.
They felt a lightness they had never experienced before.
The burden that had weighed on them for twenty years had finally scattered like dust.
Ron looked around at the sobbing people. His eyes were filled with compassion and care, and his voice was gentle yet firm.
"The shadow that has covered Wano from above—starting today—will never return!"
"Long live the Eternal Divine Kingdom!"
"Long live the Divine Lord!"
"Long live the Child of Prophecy!"
Cheers rang out once again.
This time, they were louder and even more passionate.
The deafening cheers seemed ready to pierce the clouds.
Even the surging waves seemed to retreat before that overwhelming momentum.
Wano, once shrouded in darkness, had finally welcomed its true dawn.
Warm sunlight poured over the land, driving away the gloom of the past and breathing new life and vitality into it.
Not far away, Kaido quietly looked at the land he had ruled for twenty years.
A complicated emotion flashed through his eyes.
There were memories of the past and confusion about the unknown future.
But in the end, all of it returned to calm.
Because this was the price of the contract, and also the symbol of a brand-new era beginning.
He knew that from this moment on, everything would be different.
…
Wano Country.
After enduring the long and cruel baptism of war, it finally welcomed a long-lost peace.
The suffocating smoke of war that had once filled the air gradually dispersed like morning mist, fading into the embrace of sea breeze and sunlight.
In its place was a lively scene of rebuilding. The entire nation was awakening within this newborn hope.
Among the ruins, craftsmen were busy hammering new building materials.
Their tools struck against hard stone and wood, producing crisp and powerful sounds.
Every strike was filled with strength and hope.
The sparks that flew were like the passion burning in their hearts, blooming with a different kind of brilliance among the ruins.
They carefully carved every stone and joined every piece of timber, using their own hands to give new life to this land.
In the streets, children could finally run and play without worry.
Their laughter was like clear birdsong, breaking the dullness of the past and echoing through the streets and alleys.
They chased colorful kites beneath the sunlight, their figures like cheerful young deer.
On their innocent faces were happy smiles, as though the whole world contained nothing but this beautiful moment.